User reviews

Fast-paced and atmospheric thriller set in and around the carnival midway. Two couples visiting the local traveling carnival decide to spend the night in The Funhouse and fool around as a lark. After witnessing a murder, they become the targets of a deformed maniac and his barker dad who are determined they will not leave to report it to the police. I read the Owen West (aka Dean Koontz) novelization back in the day, which was infinitely more padded with back story, abortion issues, religious fanaticism, and a rather Byzantine attempt to link the heroine and her younger brother to the killers before they ever set foot on the midway. Mercifully, the film abandons all of the excess baggage and strips the story done to the bare essentials. I enjoy Tobe Hooper's direction here much more so than that shown in the original Texas Chainsaw Massacre as it seems we are seeing a much more polished effort. He nicely establishes the atmosphere of the midway, which by turns is colorful and sordid. The central characters are nicely delineated (although due to the abandoning of the subplots from the novelization, Shawn Carson's younger brother seems like a fifth wheel rather than integral to the story) and well played by an appealing cast. They seem like credible and overwhelmed young people rather than fodder for the axing. Lead Elizabeth Berridge, in particular, has a nice girl next door quality and radiates a resourcefulness through her terror without ever seeming like either Superwoman or a victim. The make-up for the primary killer is particularly effective and novel. The film builds up a substantial head of steam before going for broke in a wild Grand Guignol climax. The score is also worth mentioning as it provides a very effective counterpoint to the action. Ironically, this film is rarely mentioned by horror fans, having been buried amid the morass of Friday the 13th clones that proliferated in this period, but it is definitely one that should be rediscovered.

Certainly not in the list of greatest Tobe Hooper films, but must say it is an old slasher you would need to see if you are a fan of that genre. We are introduced to Amy Harper (Elizabeth Berridge) in a scene that is Alfred Hitchcock's PYSCHO meets John Carpenter's HALLOWEEN. It surprisingly does work well and works better than most films that have been influenced by those pair of classics. I think you can thank Hooper for that. Amy is off to the carnival with her new boyfriend Buzz (Cooper Huckabee) and two other friends Liz (Largo Woodruff) and Richie (Miles Chapin). After some good scenes that well set up the carnival atmosphere they decide to spend the night at the funhouse.

Hooper really does create some very good tension in the film. To go along with good and intense music by John Beal. Along the way though we do see a major influence to this film and that is FRANKENSTEIN. What with one of the workers of the funhouse hidden behind a Frankenstein's monster mask and the secrets that are revealed about that character. Personally, I feel the second half of the film doesn't work as well as the first. Not to say that the second part is bad. Far from it, but to me the build up just seemed to work better than when you are getting into the meat of the story.

Rick Baker did some good makeup effects and also starring Kevin Conway who nicely portrays three different barkers at the carnival and William Finley as Marco the Magnificent.

Along with every other horror fan out there, I have been puzzling about Tobe Hooper. Texas Chainsaw features highly in my list of favorite films. At least two of his other films are really worthwhile, one of them right here. But, it all quickly unraveled for him and by the time he had moved on to Cannon in the mid-80's, he was pretty much over as a filmmaker. I think the crux of the problem is that he was not Hollywood material. He seems to have been a shy and almost asocial presence on his own sets, a kind of droopy, charmless guy, bullied off The Dark by the crass Kinski, sidestepped in Poltergeist by the more agile Spielberg, which can be viewed in Europe as the kind of quality that signifies an artist, but the Hollywood environment requires someone to direct the crowded set and costly , complicated production, and that means energetic decision-makers of some persuasive wit and strong character.

You see, he did not come up through the Hollywood system at all. He was a documentary cameraman in the 60's and you can see that in his best work. He did Chainsaw in a close circle of friends, away from Hollywood fanfare. It just didn't seem like he could muster the ego for necessary friction to see that vision through (the drug problems were probably ways to cope with that). His own fault was that he couldn't find it in him to cut out on his own.

At any rate, I consider Hooper our loss. The guy had a genuine vision and that vision is prized by me, even snippets of it like we have here.

Here's an easy riddle: the film is typical in the slasher vein about a group of teens stranded after-hours in a funhouse. Its singular call to fame now is that it was once part of that notorious list of Nasties. Now that list is dumb and arbitrary in a number of ways, but why this nearly bloodless film? Why not Friday the 13th?

But of course for the same reason that Texas Chainsaw got an R rating. The very fabric and walls of the thing are violence.

Oh, a lot of what's inside including the storyline and bad guys is silly or simply mediocre, and mainly put together from bankable horror elements, from jump-scares to ruby-red color filters, which is after all the gist of a funhouse: the horror house is fun because you anticipate the elements and staging, and look forward to this being controlled around you. The opening that slyly takes us from a re-enactment of famous scenes in Halloween and Psycho through a Frankenstein poster on the wall to Bride of Frankenstein playing on TV, is Hooper's way of commenting on the redressing of spare parts he's going to use.

That's fun and really a lot of the film is, but not genuine vision. Hooper's vision is something more powerful than either Carpenter or Argento, both effective in other respects, were doing on this level, and that is the place itself is causing evil. It was dumbed-down by Spielberg in Poltergeist - written by him but a Hooper-originated project - as an actual force in the walls, and all sorts of gizmos and movie effects were brought around to clarify. But it was something altogether different to a 'haunted house' effect in its original conception.

Chainsaw is the most pure in this regard. But, it's a recurring feature in Eaten Alive, Salem's Lot, Poltergeist, and this. Hooper explained it as a 'physical sensation' he was after. I think it's something more he achieved.

There is violent energy in the gears and walls of the world, and it's the turning of those gears much more than storybased character decisions that control and manifest the energy as a kind of semiconscious , animal evil in the narrative of the film.

You can observe that the 'Funhouse' extends and anticipates the actual physical place (opening scene - dog - shotgun guy). It's something mischievous in the air. In our film, all of it is centered on a imaginative kid on his way to the scary place. That kid is scared out of consciousness. Shots of the unconscious kid are intercut with shots of the terrified teenagers trapped inside the maze. And there is the enigmatic shot of the boy saying nothing about that to the parents.

This is brilliant. The boy pulled a prank and expects one back from his sister, the cosmic prank that shatters lives is the universe conspires to stage the real thing.

Nothing of this registers directly, because we are distracted by the much more ordinary monster in the narrative (initially Frankenstein).

The entire last 20 minutes are a zap of cinematic energy from these cosmic gears that create and destroy the monster that is the prank that throws the world helter skelter (the finale takes place in a staging area full of gears).

Why? Because the god of the machine is watching (as the old crone cackles about) and wants to be amused.

Make no mistake, this is the sister film to Texas Chainsaw.

Every time I'd see this film pop up on a streaming service I'd skip it because it has a low rating. I've seen some reviews say the first half is boring and has no direction, but I think that's what makes this movie great.

The first half of the film does a great job at making you feel the atmosphere of the carnival. You get to see how a night out with these characters is like, it felt very natural almost as if you're there hanging out with them. As the night goes on things begin to take a sinister turn and things just keep escalating from there on.

If you appreciate 80s horror I would highly recommend you watch this film and be your own judge. Sometimes the directors want to put you in the front seat with the characters and I think they did an awesome job. Just sit back and enjoy the night out at The Funhouse.

Fun-loving teenagers break into a carnival funhouse for an overnight spree and discover that there's a bloodthirsty and deformed murderer inside waiting to pick them off one by one.

The Funhouse can't help but be unfavorably compared to director Tobe Hooper's triumph, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre. It doesn't quite hold a candle to that film and it's intensity, but all the candy colors of the funhouse corridors aren't a terrible place to lounge around for 90 minutes and the makeup effects for the main bad guy are impressive.

Amy Harper has a bratty younger brother Joey. Her father forbids her to go to the carnival which had a couple of bodies found last year. She's on a first date with gas jockey Buzz Dawson. He's a bad boy who insists on going to the carnival. They don't get off on the right foot. He picks up his friends Liz and Richie. Meanwhile, Joey sneaks out to go to the carnival by himself. Richie has the idea to spend the night in the funhouse ride. Joey waits for the group to leave the funhouse. The group witnesses the brutal murder of the psychic.

As early slasher movies go, this is not the worst but I wouldn't recommend it. The young lead actors aren't that compelling. To be kind, they are amateurish and annoying. Other the Amy, I don't mind if any of them die. There isn't much of a story. The first half is pretty dull, but the carnival is pretty sleazy and creepy. I do like the amateur creepiness. It feels like an authentic bad small-town traveling carnival. As the kids start running for their lives, the movie gets somewhat better. But the movie is still pretty boring. Director Tobe Hooper has done better before and after this. This is not one of his best.

A deformed killer is stalking a group of teens at a carnival because they saw him murder a prostitute. Heavens to Murgatroyd! Director Tobe Hooper, responsible for one of the greatest horror movies of all time (TCM) and at least partially responsible for another (Poltergeist), takes a stab (ha!) at the '80s slasher craze. On the surface it seems like just another "mental defective/weirdo/lunatic" goes on a killing spree movie. Those were hardly rare in the '80s. But it's put together well with stylish direction and ample amounts of suspense. The cast is decent with Elizabeth Berridge doing a fine job as the Final Girl. She also has a nice nude scene at the start of the movie, for all the breast enthusiasts out there. The main flaws with the movie are the pacing in the first hour and the overall familiarity of the material. Still, it's worth a look if you like '80s horror.

Who could fail to make a good horror movie out of a carnival? It has all the perfect ingredients: freaks, sleazy carnies, creepy fun houses...

The answer, unfortunately for viewers of The Funhouse, is Tobe Hooper.

The film, which follows a group of dim-witted teenagers trapped in a fun house, suffers from bad writing, poor character development, and general unbelievability. For starters, the film goes nowhere for the first forty-five to fifty minutes. If this time had been used for character development, it wouldn't be so bad, but instead it just follows the characters as they meander through the carnival.

Furthermore, when things finally get going, none of the characters are worth caring about. Their behavior is too stupid for the viewer to be invested in them, particularly when they just stand around when they should be running.

This issue is particularly striking in the case of the heroine. She does little if anything to protect herself. For the viewer to invest themselves in a protagonist, whether it be Jamie Lee Curtis in Halloween or Heather Langenkamp in A Nightmare on Elm Street, they have to make some effort to defend themselves, or at least act independently. Our heroine just stands around screaming.

The only thing saving this film from a one star rating is its at times inspired use of atmosphere. The carnival comes across as genuinely sleazy, with shifty carnies and the occasional mad person walking about. Furthermore, the ending is truly eerie. However, this is not enough to save a boring, badly made film.

From director Toby Hooper (The Texas Chainsaw Massacre-1974) comes this above average slasher-thriller film, that's certainly one of the best of the '80's!

Teenagers go to the county fair on a double date. Once there, they decide to spend the night hiding out in the fun house, unknowing that the consequences will be horrific.

The Funhouse is a great, suspense-filled horror film that's far more intelligent than most of its type, especially compared to most of the "splatter" films of the era. The story is a gripping one, which builds tremendous tension right up to its claustrophobic climax. Hooper gives us an atmosphere of dread, much like he did with the original Texas Chainsaw'. The carnival becomes an underworld of fear and darkness in the skilled hands of Hooper with some colorful set pieces. The music score is wonderfully moody and dramatic.

The cast is great as well. The beautiful Elizabeth Berridge makes a great screen debut. Cooper Huckabee is good as Berridge's beefy date. Kevin Conway is the best of the cast though, in his sinister performance as he plays a trio of carnie barkers. Kudos also go to makeup artist Rick Baker for one memorable creation!

For those looking for above-average suspense and horror, seek out this entertaining gem!

*** 1/2 out of ****

A much glossier and classier film than most of Tobe Hooper's films that came before it. You can tell this was the first time he was playing with big studio money and the film looks beautiful, but it does lack some of the grit and intensity of his early work. The special makeup effects for the lead monster are terrific.

Well...I logged on hoping to find a review of this movie that felt like I did, and it just wasn't there. The vast majority of the reviewers of this film seem to have fond memories of being scared by it when they were younger. Never having seen it before might explain why I found the film so boring and unoriginal. The opening scene, described by many as a homage to "Halloween" and "Psycho", felt more like a ripoff to me; plus I felt bad for poor Elizabeth Berridge (better known as Mozart's wife in "Amadeus") who had to bare her breasts within the first 4 minutes of the film, for no other reason than to fulfill the gratuitous boob shot that was required of so many films in this genre. The film itself takes much too long to get going...nothing happens (and I mean NOTHING) within the first hour. By the time deaths finally began to occur I really didn't care. The look of the film is great, the score is interesting (without borrowing a lot from other films), and the killer is interesting as well, but I just couldn't get past one simple fact: for a travelling carnival, the funhouse itself is huge, consists of multiple floors and most obviously could never be packed up an d moved to a neighbouring town by the one man who runs it. It looks great Tobe, but a basement on a carnival ride? Enter at your own risk.

Four teenagers visit a local carnival for a night of innocent amusement, but soon discover that nothing there is innocent or amusing. Something is alive in the funhouse...something that has the form of a human, but not the face...something that feeds off the flesh and blood of young innocents...Something is alive in the funhouse...something that, tonight, will turn the funhouse into a carnival of terror! Pay to get in. Pray to get out. Something is alive in the funhouse!

From the director who brought you the cult favorite "Texas Chain Saw Massacre" going on this ¨The Funhouse¨ about four teenagers spending a night at a carnival funhose , they then witness a murder , and become next on the list of victims . This is a nice and entertaining film but nothing that hasn't been seen before . If you are looking for a watchable 80's horror film this is a cool choice providing buckets of blood and several limbs essential elements to movie terror. Tobe Hooper's Terror film in medium budget and lots of violence and gore with excellent make-up from notorious Rick Baker ; made just after the classic ¨Texas Chainsaw Massacre¨ . Hooper's success with "Chainsaw" landed him in Hollywood , then Tobe rejoined the cast of "Texas" and with Kim Henkle again for "Eaten alive" (1976), and subsequently this Funhouse (1980). Filmmaker Tobe proceeds a bestial and savage picture with plenty of grisly killings , disembowelled and butchered corpses , terrible events , sleaziness , and anything else . This is a suspenseful and frightening yarn , and adequately paced with plenty of chills , thrills, surprises , twists and turns. This noisy as well as visceral film contains images of graphic violence , and ominous scenes and it may not be suitable for all audiences , viewer discretion is advised. It boasts a nice main and support cast , such as : Elizabeth Berridge, Kevin Conway, Miles Chapin, Wiliam Finley and Sylvia Miles.

Dark and sinister cinematography by cameraman Andrew Laszlo and the camera often assumes a pointedly aggressive stance . Screeching and eerie musical score by means of strange and offbeat sounds composed by John Beal . The motion picture was competently directed by Tobe Hooper . Hooper had greater success with Stephen King's 1979 mini series ¨Salem's Lot¨ (1979). In 1981, Hooper directed the teen slasher film ¨The Funhouse¨ (1981) for Universal Pictures. Despite its success, "The Funhouse" was a minor disappointment. In 1982, Hooper found greater success when Steven Spielberg hired him to direct his production, haunted house shocker ¨Poltergeist¨ and the inferior remake ¨Invaders from Mars (1986)¨ and the disappointing , minor sequel Texas Chainsaw massacre 2 (1986) . But his essential big success was forever ¨Texas chainsaw massacre¨ that in 2003, Hooper co-produced the hit remake for New Line . In the 1990s, Hooper continued working in both film and television with ¨Spontaneous Combustion¨, ¨The Mangler¨, ¨Crocodile¨ , ¨Mortuory¨, ¨The Apartment Complex¨ , ¨Dark Skies¨, ¨Perversions of Science¨, ¨Shadow Realm¨, ¨Night Vision¨,¨I'm Dangerous Tonight¨ and ¨Djinn¨ got notorious failures . Rating : 6.5/10 . Passable and acceptable.

Four hormone-driven teens sneak into a funhouse at a traveling carnival, and plan to stay the night. Little do they know, it harbours a deformed sex-crazed maniac. Now, they've seen too much, and must find a way out, before the monster and his father find them...to dole out their own brand of carny justice.

The way the whole sub-plot with the little brother plays out is really weak. It's only included to offer a possible out that never comes to fruition...and it plays out as awkwardly as does that last molestey scene with the little kid in it.

Petty criticisms aside, however, it's an entertaining film. The funhouse robots are pretty rad, and the monster is badass. The kills could have been a little more gory...but the one where they accidentally axe their friend is great! There's a nice amount of tension in that final scene too.

While not a masterpiece of horror or anything, this Tobe Hooper film is certainly worth a watch. But it's not particularly scary.

6 out of 10.

Even some of the greats have their bad days. Spielberg struck out with Hook, Stone with U-Turn and Hooper was out to lunch with this poor effort. Funhouse takes a typical premise but does nothing with it. Four teens are out for an evening of fun at a carnival and they end up paying for it with their lives. It is a great idea to have two guys and two girls spend the night in a funhouse but the execution of it is quite banal. And that is too bad because it had all the ingredients to be quite scary.

What is good about the film is the opening which pragmatically tips it's cap to Carpenter's opening shot in Halloween. It is a nice touch to see a Halloween mask put over the camera as a little boy, heavy breathing and all, walks slowly into the bathroom where his sister is taking a shower and then pretends to stab her with a plastic knife. The other decent part in the film is when the first guy dies, he is then hit in the head with an axe by one of his friends. They thought he was the killer coming around a dark corner and they split his head open with an axe. These two parts were very well done. The rest of the film is not.

The killing doesn't even start until almost an hour into the film. And that is fine if the movie and the screenplay in particular would have done a better job of setting it up. But all we get is some inane scenes of the kids going on carnival rides and smooching. Nothing forbidden is even remotely mentioned about the funhouse except that a couple of years ago a couple of kids were found dead in a funhouse a few states over. But then they leave it alone. I wanted to know more about this funhouse a few states over. How did the kids die? Was there a suspect? Was anyone indicted in the murders? There was nothing to make me afraid for the kids to enter that house. And that is where the film fails. Sure the killer is deformed and ugly and blah blah blah but even he isn't that scary.

Funhouse is a disappointment but Hooper is to be forgiven. He directed TCM and Poltergeist and that is a good enough track record to be exonerated from any wrong doing with this film.

4 out of 10

**** Just a side note. Has anyone ever given any thought to Hooper being somewhat of an animal rights activist? I have. In Texas Chainsaw Massacre, there was great detail not only verbally but visually to the slaughter of animals. And this one had a carnival full of deformed animals on display for everyone to gawk at. I can't put my finger on it but there has to be some sort of connection there. If anyone else has any theories, please email me. And if that is the case, then kudos to you Mr. Hooper.

I first saw "The Funhouse" a few years ago and was impressed since it's a semi-obscure horror film from 1981, although the movie poster has gotten some mileage. I guess I was expecting something low-budget and lame, but that's not the case. This is a top-rate quasi-slasher flick from that era, taking place at a carnival, which is a great location for a horror movie. The plot revolves around two high school couples (Elizabeth Berridge & Cooper Huckabee and Miles Chapin & Largo Woodruff) who spend their double date at the local carnival and foolishly decide to spend the night at the Funhouse where they inadvertently witness a murder. Horror ensues as the masked murderer turns out to be a hideous freak.

I discovered why this is such a well-done horror film from that era – it was made by Tobe Hooper who directed significant horror films like "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre" (1974), "Salem's Lot" (1979), "Poltergeist" (1982) and "Crocodile" (2000). I realize a lot of people don't appreciate the last one, but I actually prefer it to the other three.

The movie's effective because the protagonists represent the typical 17-18 year-old youths from that time period, or any time period really. The story takes its time to establish the characters on their carnival date before the horror goes into overdrive and the acting of the teens is convincing when it does. That's one of the things I like about this movie the most (beyond the carnival atmosphere, that is) – it's realistic tone. Don't get me wrong, there are things that happen that wouldn't likely happen in real life, like a prop at the Funhouse scaring the youths at precisely the right moment, but generally speaking the tone's very believable, plus there's no goofiness or indications that it's all a joke, as in "Crocodile."

Both girls are a highlight, particularly Largo Woodruff as Liz. Sylvia Miles appears as the tarot card reader, Madame Zena; she still looked good for being in her late 50s.

The freak is played by Wayne Doba who is passionate in his portrayal and extremely credible. Plus the make-up is hideous and memorable. I also liked the depiction of the monster's relationship with his dad, the Funhouse Barker played by Kevin Conway. All-around outstanding job on this front.

Unfortunately, the pacing of the film is weak and there are numerous draggy sections, which causes one's mind to wander. This is the only reason I don't rate it higher. The movie would've been more effective if they cut 12-15 minutes of fat, which explains why the video version only runs 80 minutes; that's the version you want to see.

The film runs 96 minutes and was shot in North Miami, Florida.

GRADE: B

Group of teenagers double date and get the idea of spending the night in a carnival funhouse for a lark. They get more then they bargained for however when they witness the murder of a psychic at the hands of a freak. Richly colored, nicely mounted flick has effective jump scenes, terrifying special effects and a good cast full of oddballs. One of Tobe Hooper's better horror films.

Rated R; Violence, Nudity, and Profanity.

I bought this bluray at a record shop for dirt cheap. It was 5 bucks or so, which is pretty amazing for a Shout! Factory release. I saw this way back in the day because I thought Elizabeth Berridge was hot (and she definitely is, I can confirm). I didn't love the film back in the day though. I re-visited it because I just felt the need to watch anything in my collection. I still don't think its great. There are aspects of it that I like but overall as a horror film it doesn't deliver on much.

The film is about four teenagers who decide to go check out the local carnival despite warnings not to because of dead bodies that had previously turned up. Once they get there they discover that a monster and his handler are killing others and are soon gunning for them. The film is directed by Tobe Hooper,a horror film legend alone just for giving us the gift of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre. This film pales so much in comparison. I know they are completely different types of films but this one really could have used some of what made TTCM so legendary.

Positives first. I like the carnival fun-house theme. Clowns and the atmosphere of freakshow performers really go hand in hand with horror. The style with which this setting is filmed is quite nice. Other than that, the characters are typical horror junk. There are very few scary moments if any real ones at all. The little brother in the film is completely pointless. I can't even tell you why he has a prolonged role in this film.

Tobe Hooper has been known for better. There's no suspense, chills, wit, or blood and gore to make this film memorable. As an 80s horror it pales in comparison to other contemporary works. Carnival theme aside there isn't anything that's overly great about this. I am reminded that there are a few other films from Hooper that I need to check out and probably will.

5/10